Floor mop



March 9, 1937. A. o. PIEPER 2,073,170

FLOOR MOP Filed Aug. 2'7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR a JrZ/curaPL'e ver 3% I '%z. s ATTO EY Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a floor mop for cleaning and polishing floors and one which is particularly adapted for use as a floor waxing mop, an object of the invention being to provide 5 an improved mop of this class embodying a simplified construction for supporting a container or receptacle for holding the material to be applied to the floor, in combination with means by which the operator may readily control the discharge 10 of the cleaning or polishing material from the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for interchangeably receiving similar outlet portions of different commercial 15 forms of containers or receptacles for holding the cleaning or polishing material to be spread over or applied to the floor by the mop head, in combination with valve means for controlling the discharge of the fluid through the outlet portions of 20 the containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a floor mop construction, supporting means for the fluid holding receptacle to which the latter can be quickly and readily applied and removed 25 without the removal or adjustment of any part of the supporting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mop head construction embodying cooperating parts for supporting the floor 30 cleaning or polishing element which will permit the latter to be readily applied thereto and detached therefrom when desired.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of 35 parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mop structure 40 embodying one form of the invention Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mop proper shown in Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken centrally through the mop head and handle shown 45 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a part sectional elevation drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating the container sup- 50 porting structure and the valve means for controlling the discharge of the contents of the container; I xvi Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 5;

55 Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating a container closure and valve construction similar to that shown in Fig. 5 with the exception that the vent tube extending within the container is omitted;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form of mop head, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation on line 9- 9 of Fig. 8.

' The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The present mop, while particularly adapted for the waxing and polishing of floors or floor coverings, may also be employed for the scrubbing, oiling, andwashing of the floors in which usages different floor engaging elements may be employed, the character of which may be varied according to the nature of the work to be done.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character I designates generally what may be termed the mop head, and II the operating member or handle therefor. The mop head in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises the floor engaging element I2, the upper and lower supporting members I2 and II therefor, any may also include the handle receiving members I connected with the pivot pin It, the opposite ends of which are supported by the spaced lugs H extending from the lower supporting member through slots It in the upper member I 3. The upper member I3 is preferably provided with a longitudinally extending groove or depressed portion I9 for receiving and guiding the pin I6 when inserting the latter through the lugs I1 and the cooperating portions 20 of the handle supporting members I5 which are braced and supported by the flared or wing-like portions 2I of the members I5, the latter being secured upon the handle by the bolts 22. The pivot pin I6 is provided with an angularly disposed operating portion 23 by which it may be conveniently moved to and from operating position.

The supporting members I3 and II are best shown in Fig. 3, each of which comprises a channel. The flanges I So of the upper channel and likewise the flanges Ila of the lower channel, are preferably formed by bending back the material of each upon itself to increase the thickness and thereby the rigidity of the flanges as well as to provide rounded or curved edge portions thereon for the purpose of protecting the portions of the flexible member I2 with which said flanges contact.

The flexible fioor engaging element I2 may be formed of any suitable material such, for example, as sponge rubber. as shown in section in Fig. 3, the skin or rind of the rubber being left intact at the upper side of the sheet to prevent the escape of the cleaning or polishing fluid through to the channel i4, the skin being indi. cated by the unstippled portion l2a of the section shown in Fig. 3.

The sheet is made wide enough to permit its edges to be folded over the flanges No of the channel l4 and down upon the inner face of said channel as indicated at D in Fig. 3. The upper channel I3 is of less width than the lower channel but is made sufllciently wide to squeeze or crowd the material of the flexible element I2 against the inner faces of the flanges I44 of the lower channel l4 as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the sheet I2 is firmly clamped and maintained in service position upon the channel l4.

When it is desired to remove the flexible floor engaging element from the channel i 4 with a view to applying a different or similar element thereto. it is only necessary to withdraw the pivot pin l6 to permit of the removal of the handle II and the upper plate or channel l3, through which the lugs l'l are extended.

As previously stated, any suitable floor cleaning, polishing, or scrubbing element may be substituted for that shown, of such material as it may be desired to use, depending upon the nature of the treatment required from time to time.

The container for holding the liquid wax or other material is designated by the reference character 23 and may be in the form of a can or other receptacle, and is preferably provided with a head 24 having a threaded outlet portion 26 thereon for the reception of the usual or ordinary screw cap or closure, furnished with the container when purchased by the user.

A similar cap 26, however, is fixed upon and permanently carried by a supporting element in the form of an arm 21, the inner end of which is bent to provide a loop 28 substantially surrounding the mop handle Ii, the loop having an extended portion 29, and a screw 30 being extended through said portion and the arm to secure the latter upon the handle. The other end of the arm 21 is twisted to form a flattened seat 3| for the container closure 26 which may be secured upon said flattened portion in any suitable manner, as by soldering or otherwise.

The closure member 26 and the portion 3| of thearm 2'! are provided with registering openings for the reception of the upper end of a valve head 32 having a seat 33 for the valve 34 supported on a lever 35,'pivoted at 36 upon a member 31 suitably secured upon and extending downwardly from the arm 21, as shown in Fig. 5.

The valve head is provided with a discharge port 38 communicating with the container 23 and normally closed by the: valve 34. The valve head is also provided with an opening 33 within which is inserted the lower end of a vent tube 40 which extends within the container to admit air to the upper end thereof whereby to facilitate discharge of the liquid from the container through the port 36 when the valve 34 is opened.

The cap 26 is provided with a packing element 4i preferably comprising a. rubber gasket which forms a yieldable seat for the end of the threaded neck portion of the container when said portion is screwed within the cap.

The cap and valve head construction shown in Fig. 7 is the same as that shown in Fig. 5, except that the vent tube has been omitted leaving the port 33 of the valve head open for the passage of the liquid therethrough as well as for the admission of a certain amount of air to the container to facilitate the discharge of the liquid therefrom when the outlet ports are uncovered by movement of the valve to open position.

A rod 42 is provided for operating the valve carrying lever 33, the rod being extended through the inner end of the lever and provided with an enlarged portion 43 for exerting pressure on said end in an upward direction whereby to swing the outer end of the lever downwardly to effect opening of the valve for the discharge of the contents of the container 23.

A coil spring 44 surrounds the lower end of the rod and has one end seated on the lever and the other on a part 45 fixed on the rod which engages the lower edges of the arm 21 and the end 23 of the looped portion 28 of the arm, which is clamped upon the mop handle, the rod being extended between the arm and said portion 29 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. When the rod is released after having been moved in an upward direction to open the valve, it is automatically returned by the lever under the action of the spring which serves through the pressure exerted on the lever, to yieldingly maintain the valve in closed position.

The operating means for the rod preferably comprises a hand grip lever 46 pivoted at 41 upon the mop handle and having a lug 48 through which the rod is loosely extended, the lug engaging a nut 49 on the outer end of the rod to move the latter outwardly when the lever 46 is actuated by the operator.

Means is provided, in addition to the closure 26, for supporting the container on the mop handle II. This means comprises a ring-shaped member 60 which encircles the bottom end of the container, when the latter is in the inverted position shown in Fig. 5. The ring-shaped member is carried by a support 5i having a circular portion substantially surrounding the mop handle and clamped thereon by a bolt 52, Fig. 4. The support has arm-like portions extending in opposite directions and secured upon the ring-shaped member in any suitable manner, as, for example,

by spot welding.

In applying the container to the supporting means therefor, it is inserted through the ringshaped member 50 into position to cause the threaded neck portion 25 to enter the correspondingly threaded screw member or closure 26, and by rotating the container, through engagement of the fingers with the upper end thereof, said neck portion will be screwed down into engagement with the gasket 4| within the cap to slightly compress the same.

The axes of the screw cap and ring-shaped members 26 and 50 are located slightly off center one with respect to another in order that the side wall of the container may be made to bear against the ring-shaped member at one side thereof, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, thus supporting and steadying the container to relieve the cap and neck portions thereof from undue strain which might result if the cap formed the only support for the entire weight of the container and its contents.

In the modified form of the mop head shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the floor cleaning or polishing element 53, preferably constructed of yieldable material, such as sponge rubber, is in the form of an enclosure within which the supporting member 64 can readily be inserted and in which it is held by the inwardly turned flange-like portions 66 of said element as shown in Fig. 9. The

sponge rubber sheet from which the element I3 is formed has the skin or rind left intact at one side thereof as indicated by the unstippled portion 56 of said element, whereby the liquid to be applied to the floors by said element is prevented from seeping through and coming in contact with the support 54, which may be formed of metal or other suitable material.

Spaced apertured lugs 51 are provided on the support 54 for receiving the end portions 20 of the mop handle supporting members II, the pin it being used to connect the handle with the lugs in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.

It will be understood that due to the resiliency of the material of the floor engaging element 53, no diillculty will be encountered in stretching the walls of said member suiliciently to permit the supporting part 54 to be inserted therein, after which said part will be held in position through frictional engagement of said walls with the supporting member.

In employing the floor mop to apply liquid wax to the surface of the floor, the user will operate the hand grip lever 46 to open the container valve 34 for the discharge of the desired quantity of liquid to the floor, through the outlet port of the valve head 32, and will at the same time make use of the floor engaging element on the mop head to evenly apply or spread the liquid upon the surface of the floor.

It will be understood that the device may be used in the same way either for waxing, cleaning, or otherwise treating the floor surfaces, the only distinctions being the kind of material contained in the receptacle and the character of the floor en aging element, each of which may be varied according to the nature of the work to be performed.

It will be further understood that the shape of the container supporting member may be varied to correspond to diiferent forms of containers having similarly constructed neck portions adapted to be received by the screw cap 20, shown in Figs. 5 to 'l, inclusive.

I claim:

1. A floor mop comprising a mopping element having an operating handle, a container having an outlet portion, a closure member fixed on the handle and threadedly receiving said container outlet portion, said closure having a port for discharging the contents of the container, a valve normally closing said port, means on the handle operable to open the valve, means associated with the valve for closing the same, and a ring-shaped supporting member for the container secured on the handle and through which the container extends and within which-it is rotated when screwing it upon the closure.

2. A floor mop comprising a mopping element having an operating handle, a member secured on said handle and extending laterally therefrom, container supporting means on said member for detachably receiving an outlet portion of the container, said supporting means having a port for the discharge of the contents of the container, a valve for closing said port mounted independently of the container, operating means for opening and closing the valve, and a vent tube carried by said supporting means for extension within the container when the latter is applied to the supporting means, said vent tube' being closed by the valve when the latter is in closing position relative to said discharge port. 

